Ad google

Overview

This skill defines exactly what to produce for a Google Ads creative. It is platform-spec only: the slots Google exposes, the limits they enforce, and the assets they expect. It does not cover keyword strategy, bidding, audience signals, or conversion tracking — those are separate concerns.

Use this skill whenever the deliverable is the actual ad copy or asset set that will be pasted into Google Ads Editor or uploaded to a Performance Max asset group.

Instructions

Campaign Types Covered

Type	What You Produce
Search (RSA)	Headlines × 15, descriptions × 4, paths × 2, sitelinks (optional), callouts
Performance Max	Headlines, long headlines, descriptions, long descriptions, business name, images, logos, videos
Display	Responsive display assets — headlines, long headline, descriptions, images, logo, video

Out of scope for this skill: keyword lists, negative keywords, bid strategy, audience signals, conversion goals.

Responsive Search Ads (RSA) — Slots

Slot	Count	Hard Limit	Notes
Headline	up to 15	30 chars each	Google picks 3 to show per impression
Description	up to 4	90 chars each	Google picks 2 to show per impression
Path	2	15 chars each	Display URL only — does not affect destination
Final URL	1	URL	The actual landing page
Sitelink	0–6	Headline 25, description 35×2	Optional extension
Callout	0–10	25 chars each	Optional extension
Structured snippet	0–2	25 chars per value	Optional extension

RSA Production Rules

• Produce at least 8 headlines and 3 descriptions. Fewer reduces the ad strength signal.
• Pin only when policy or brand requires it. Pinning H1 forces it to position 1 every impression, which kills Google's optimisation surface.
• Include the primary keyword in at least 3 headlines. Search intent match drives quality score.
• Vary headline angles: benefit, feature, social proof, urgency, question. Repeating the same angle across all 15 wastes slots.
• Descriptions complement headlines — do not restate the same benefit twice.
• Display path is brand surface only. Use it to reinforce the click target (/pricing, /demo, /free-trial).
• Final URL must contain the offer named in the ad. No bait-and-switch.

Performance Max — Slots

Asset Group Slot	Count Range	Limit	Notes
Headline	3–15	30 chars	Same as RSA headlines
Long headline	1–5	90 chars	Used in display/video placements
Description	1–5	90 chars	Standard description
Long description	1	90 chars	Used in some display formats
Business name	1	25 chars	Brand surface across placements
Image — landscape	up to 20	1.91:1	1200×628 recommended
Image — square	up to 20	1:1	1200×1200 recommended
Image — portrait	up to 20	4:5	960×1200 recommended (≥3 portraits lifts mobile placement significantly)
Logo — square	up to 5	1:1	1200×1200, min 128×128
Logo — landscape	up to 5	4:1	1200×300 (optional)
Video	0–5 per aspect ratio (15 total max)	16:9, 9:16, or 1:1	10s minimum, YouTube-hosted. ≥1 9:16 vertical (10-60s) required for Shorts placement
CTA	1	≤10 char custom override OR enum	Custom CTA now exposed in Editor 2.12+
Sitelink	2+	Standard sitelink limits	Required for full eligibility
Callout	2+	25 chars	Required for full eligibility

Demand Gen — Slots (Replaced Discovery Ads in 2024)

Demand Gen serves across YouTube (In-Stream, In-Feed, Shorts), Discover, Gmail, and Maps. The biggest pitfall is reusing PMax/RSA copy — Demand Gen has DIFFERENT char limits.

Slot	Count	Limit	Notes
Headline	up to 5	40 chars	NOT 30 — most common reuse error
Long headline (video ads only)	up to 5	90 chars
Description	up to 5	90 chars
Business name	1	25 chars
CTA	1	Enum OR ≤10 char custom	Demand Gen exposes CTA explicitly
Image 1.91:1	up to 20	1200×628
Image 1:1	up to 20	1200×1200
Image 4:5	up to 20	960×1200
Image 9:16 (NEW for Shorts)	up to 20	1080×1920
Logo	up to 5	1:1, min 128×128
Video	1-5 per aspect ratio	16:9 / 1:1 / 9:16	5s min (10s+ for in-stream), MP4
Carousel	2-10 cards	Ratios must match across cards
Product feed	optional	Merchant Center linkage	For commerce
Sitelinks (video ads)	up to 4	Standard sitelink limits

Demand Gen CTA enum (subject to vertical eligibility): Apply Now, Book Now, Contact Us, Download, Get Quote, Learn More, Order Now, Shop Now, Sign Up, Subscribe, Visit Site, Watch Now.

Demand Gen vs PMax vs Search RSA — When to Use Which

Campaign	When
Search RSA	High-intent, branded, bottom funnel. Quality-score driven
Performance Max	Conversion goal + creative assets + all-surface reach. Best for eCom with feed
Demand Gen	Demand creation, visual story, YouTube/Discover/Gmail surfaces, top/mid funnel
Display	Remarketing or cheap reach only — not a primary spend channel in 2026

Display — Responsive Display Slots

Slot	Count Range	Limit
Headline	up to 5	30 chars
Long headline	1	90 chars
Description	up to 5	90 chars
Business name	1	25 chars
Image — landscape	1–15	1.91:1, 1200×628
Image — square	1–15	1:1, 1200×1200
Logo — square	1	1:1
Logo — landscape	0–5	4:1
Video	0–5	YouTube-hosted, 30s max recommended

CTA Behavior

Google does not expose a CTA button field for RSA — the CTA lives in the headline/description copy. For Performance Max and Display, an auto-generated CTA appears based on the ad copy and conversion action; the agent does not set it directly. So:

• Write the CTA INSIDE a headline or description ("Start free trial", "Get the demo", "See pricing")
• Do not waste a slot on a generic CTA-only line like "Click here" — every slot must contain product/value
• For PMax/Display, ensure at least one headline contains the conversion verb you want the auto-CTA aligned to

Policy Constraints (Common Disapprovals + 2025-2026 Updates)

• Trademark in headline without authorisation — auto-disapproval
• Superlatives without verifiable claim ("#1", "best", "cheapest") — manual review trigger
• Exclamation points: max 1 per ad total across headlines and descriptions
• ALL CAPS words: not allowed except for acronyms (CRM, SEO, API). LLM enforcement now catches evasion ("B-E-S-T")
• Punctuation: no repeated punctuation ("Save!! Now!!"), no symbols replacing letters ("S@ve")
• Restricted categories (healthcare, finance, gambling, alcohol, dating) — additional certification required
• Personal pronouns in display URL paths look spammy: /you-need-this will flag

2025-2026 Policy Updates:

• Asset-level disapprovals (April 2026, PMax + Demand Gen) — Google now disapproves individual assets, not the whole group. Submit 8-10 assets per slot as buffer.
• AI-generated content disclosure (March 2026) — Any AI-generated creative element (image, video, voice) must carry "AI Generated" label. Deepfake-style human likeness banned outright.
• LLM semantic review — Text assets parsed by LLM, not regex. False-positive trigger categories: healthcare imagery (15-25%), before/after (20-30%), superlatives (10-15%), testimonials (15-20%), financial charts (10-20%).
• Predictive enforcement — Google flags ads before they violate based on account history + vertical. New accounts in regulated verticals see pre-emptive limited serving.
• Hidden-fees rule (auto retail Oct 2025, spillover expected) — All-in pricing required in vehicle ads; subscription/SaaS likely next.

Output Format

# Google Ads — [Product] [Campaign Name]

## Campaign Type
[Search RSA / Performance Max / Display]

## Final URL
[Landing page URL]

## Headlines ([N]/15)
1. [Headline] — [chars/30]
2. [Headline] — [chars/30]
...

## Descriptions ([N]/4)
1. [Description] — [chars/90]
2. [Description] — [chars/90]
...

## Paths (RSA only)
- Path 1: [path] — [chars/15]
- Path 2: [path] — [chars/15]

## Pinning Map (only if required)
| Position | Pinned Headlines | Reason |
|----------|------------------|--------|
| H1 | #1, #3 | Brand name required |

## PMax / Display Additions
- Long headline: [copy] — [chars/90]
- Long description: [copy] — [chars/90]
- Business name: [name] — [chars/25]

## Visual Asset Specs (PMax / Display)
- Landscape 1.91:1 — [scenario brief]
- Square 1:1 — [scenario brief]
- Portrait 4:5 — [scenario brief, mobile lift]
- Logo square 1:1 — [supplied]
- Video 16:9 — [hook timing + scene plan if produced]

## Extensions
- Sitelinks: [list with link text + URL]
- Callouts: [list of 25-char callouts]

## Pre-Submit Checklist
- [ ] At least 8 headlines, 3 descriptions
- [ ] Primary keyword in 3+ headlines
- [ ] No ALL CAPS, no repeated punctuation, ≤1 "!"
- [ ] No unauthorised trademark
- [ ] Final URL matches the ad's promise
- [ ] Pinning only where strictly required

When NOT to Use This Skill

• Keyword research → out of scope
• Audience or signal selection → out of scope
• Bid strategy or budget setup → out of scope